Preview — The Eye of the Sheep
by Sofie Laguna

The Eye of the Sheep

"Ned was beside me, his messages running easily through him, with space between each one, coming through him like water. He was the go-between, going between the animal kingdom and this one. I watched the waves as they rolled and crashed towards us, one after another, never stopping, always changing. I knew what was making them come, I had been there and I would always kno"Ned was beside me, his messages running easily through him, with space between each one, coming through him like water. He was the go-between, going between the animal kingdom and this one. I watched the waves as they rolled and crashed towards us, one after another, never stopping, always changing. I knew what was making them come, I had been there and I would always know."

Meet Jimmy Flick. He's not like other kids. He finds a lot of the adult world impossible to understand - especially why his Dad gets so angry with him. Jimmy's mother Paula is the only one who can manage him. She teaches him how to count sheep so that he can fall sleep. She holds him tight enough to stop his cells spinning. It is only Paula who can keep Jimmy out of his father's way. But when Jimmy's world falls apart, he has no one else to turn to. He alone has to navigate the unfathomable world and make things right.

Sofie Laguna's first novel, One Foot Wrong received rave reviews, sold all over the world and was longlisted for both the Miles Franklin and Prime Minister's Awards. In The Eye of the Sheep, her great originality and talent will again amaze and move readers. In the tradition of Room and The Lovely Bones, here is a surprising and brilliant novel from one of our finest writers....more

Community Reviews

Okay. Wow! This one just knocked me for six. When it started I thought here we go, another superbly brilliant but totally misunderstood child with Asperger's Syndrome. And indeed so he was. But then the book was just outstanding - his adoring but hopeless mother, his charming but alcoholic father, his brother who tried so hard but in the end had to make his own life, his uncle who wanted to do the right thing but did not know how.

It was heart breaking. I wanted to wrap Jimmy up and bring him hoOkay. Wow! This one just knocked me for six. When it started I thought here we go, another superbly brilliant but totally misunderstood child with Asperger's Syndrome. And indeed so he was. But then the book was just outstanding - his adoring but hopeless mother, his charming but alcoholic father, his brother who tried so hard but in the end had to make his own life, his uncle who wanted to do the right thing but did not know how.

It was heart breaking. I wanted to wrap Jimmy up and bring him home and care for him properly. The book is a heart breaker but very, very real. Easily five stars. I loved it:)...more

5★“The same network that was in my mum, the same network that was in me, in plants and leaves and machinery and all shops and underground in the earth’s core. It was the whole inside of all living things, but on the outside, and that’s where my dad worked. There! In that refinery!

. . . On the other side of the grass and the stream, way in the distance, the flame leapt from the refinery pipe – like the light in the sheep’s eye, it never died . . .

The wetlands air had a potion that came from th5★“The same network that was in my mum, the same network that was in me, in plants and leaves and machinery and all shops and underground in the earth’s core. It was the whole inside of all living things, but on the outside, and that’s where my dad worked. There! In that refinery!

. . . On the other side of the grass and the stream, way in the distance, the flame leapt from the refinery pipe – like the light in the sheep’s eye, it never died . . .

The wetlands air had a potion that came from the refinery flame and slowed me down. That’s why Mum let me go; when I got home I was quieter . . .

As soon as we walked into the house through the back door I felt my cells speed up. The potion from the flame couldn’t pass through the plaster.”

Running, running, running, spinning, flicking his dad’s paper, his brother’s magazine, tearing around the classroom and always being told to SLOW DOWN, KID. Jimmy is a terror and a trial to all around him because nobody knows how to deal with him.

His mother has severe asthma, his father is sometimes an abusive drunk, and his older brother leaves home as soon as he’s old enough. Mother dotes on him and helps him count sheep to go to sleep, so Jimmy becomes convinced the light in the back of the sheep’s eye is the soul.

“ ‘Five sheep . . . six sheep . . . seven . . .’ we counted together. If you look deep into the eye of a sheep you can see a light. It burns right at the back of the head and it never goes out, no matter what happens to the sheep.”

The story, told from Jimmy’s point of view, is about how things ebb and flow around him, how his family pulls and pushes each other, and how the world deals with Jimmy. It’s how he knows when his dad is safe to approach in his shed if he’s had a beer or two but not if he’s grabbed the Cutty Sark bottle.

He sees his parents singing and dancing to Merle Haggard and Doris Day, and he seems to relish repeating the phrases from the songs at times that seem appropriate to him but confuse those around him.

Today, he’d be diagnosed as autistic, I’m sure, but that’s not the point. The point is how Jimmy deals first with the everyday challenges and later with the dramatic changes in his life.

He’s figured out Life better than most of us. Everyone and everything is connected with lines, pipes, wires and tubes. He sees patterns everywhere, joining his family to each other, to the backyard to the fence. His dad works in the refinery, and he describes that as a raw creature without any skin (first quote), and the flame is its ‘eye of the sheep’.

He describes his mother’s asthma as blocked breathing tubes and tears as water coming from eye pipes. He never cries and doesn’t understand how people do it. He certainly feels joy and pain, but tears don’t come.

When he first meets Ned, his uncle’s rambunctious, happy dog, he notices something.

“Ned was hot and shaking and wet and running running running but inside him was quiet and still.”

Ned is able to run wildly but not be agitated. Later, Jimmy brings more of his observations together.

“All the secrets for survival are in the animal kingdom. Ned was from it even though he was in this world too. I looked in his eyes and I saw the light from the eye of the sheep, like lamps to show the way.”

When you read a story about a boy like this, you start wondering exactly what’s normal and what’s crazy.

I loved it and am not alone. It’s no wonder Laguna won the Stella Prize and the Miles Franklin.

If you hanker for something outside the everyday mystery or romance, try seeing the world from this boy’s unusual perspective....more

Jimmy Flick is unlike other children in fact, in a way he is a unique little boy who has learning difficulties. He lives with his parents and older brother Robby. The only one who truly understands him is his mother Paula. His father Gavin can't cope with Jimmy and as a result he turns to alcohol and with alcohol comes violence. Jimmy knew when his father had been drinking it was a time to maintain quiet and stay out of his way. Only of course Jimmy couldn't always control either of these thingsJimmy Flick is unlike other children in fact, in a way he is a unique little boy who has learning difficulties. He lives with his parents and older brother Robby. The only one who truly understands him is his mother Paula. His father Gavin can't cope with Jimmy and as a result he turns to alcohol and with alcohol comes violence. Jimmy knew when his father had been drinking it was a time to maintain quiet and stay out of his way. Only of course Jimmy couldn't always control either of these things no matter how hard he tried. Looking out and hearing his father's going into violent rages only made Jimmy feel worse. At night time his mother, Paula would lay with him and together they would count sheep until Jimmy was feeling more relaxed and would drop off to sleep.

Then suddenly one day something occurred that would change their lives. Jimmy didn't understand change and although his mother answered his questions the best she could to explain the situation, Jimmy he still didn't seem to fully understand. How would Jimmy cope and would he come to terms with it all or would he still feel uncertain about the future?

An amazing story that will break your heart. I was a little disappointed with the ending as I felt it was tied up too neatly and I would've liked a different outcome for Jimmy's father, but in saying that I thoroughly loved this book. Highly recommended....more

This recent winner of the Miles Franklin award in Australia was a winner too for me in every way. I would have given it six stars out of five if that was possible.Jimmy and his voice is such a unique and exceptional creation, totally original and poignant.He is a boy, very different to other children, somewhere perhaps on the autism spectrum but with a wisdom and an insight beyond that of his elders.

This is such an empathetic story which covers abuse and love in equal measure and allows redemptiThis recent winner of the Miles Franklin award in Australia was a winner too for me in every way. I would have given it six stars out of five if that was possible.Jimmy and his voice is such a unique and exceptional creation, totally original and poignant.He is a boy, very different to other children, somewhere perhaps on the autism spectrum but with a wisdom and an insight beyond that of his elders.

This is such an empathetic story which covers abuse and love in equal measure and allows redemption in the end.

All the characters are beautifully and believably depicted with all their faults and sins. Even Liam, a boy in care, towards the end of the story will move the hardest heart, despite his rough and violent exterior. These are all characters who are just searching for love and acceptance.

But it is Jimmy's parents (and brother) whose love and abuse sear the pages of this story.Jimmy has insights into reality that we all might learn from. In a time when community and humanity seems little valued, both shine forth in these pages.I had to keep putting this book down. I felt it was burning my soul and then when it ended I wanted more. Truly for me the best book of 2015 so far.

Jimmy Flick lived with his dad Gavin, older brother Robby and mum Paula. But Jimmy was different – different from Robby and different from all the other kids. His mum was the only one who understood him, who could help him when his cells got out of control and he started running, racing, careening all over until he was stopped with a big, gigantic hug. Then Jimmy’s cells would slow to equal the pace of his mum’s heartbeat. At night when Jimmy couldn’t sleep his mum lay beside him and they counteJimmy Flick lived with his dad Gavin, older brother Robby and mum Paula. But Jimmy was different – different from Robby and different from all the other kids. His mum was the only one who understood him, who could help him when his cells got out of control and he started running, racing, careening all over until he was stopped with a big, gigantic hug. Then Jimmy’s cells would slow to equal the pace of his mum’s heartbeat. At night when Jimmy couldn’t sleep his mum lay beside him and they counted sheep together. When he could see deep into the eye of the sheep he would feel calm; he could sleep …

Jimmy’s dad didn’t understand him; as Gavin dipped deeper into the bottle of Cutty Sark, the family life deteriorated – Jimmy found it hard to keep quiet all the time so he didn’t annoy his father, and what was happening distressed him – his anxiety sky rocketed and his cells became too fast again.

With unexpected suddenness everything changed – how was Jimmy to understand this change? His mum tried to explain, but Jimmy’s constant need to know, the repetition of his questions, demanding answers over and over began to wear her down. What would happen to Jimmy’s world? What could he do to make it all right? Could Jimmy survive his confusion……

What a wonderful, emotional and heartbreaking story. This is definitely a book which will stay with me for a very long time. I loved the character of Jimmy Flick and though I didn’t mention Ned above, the connection Jimmy had with this beautiful dog was deep and trusting. An amazing novel by Aussie author Sofie Laguna which was incredibly sad, but also uplifting and real. I have no hesitation in recommending The Eye of the Sheep highly.

With thanks to TRR and Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review....more

Jimmy lives with his mother, father and brother, Robbie. He is not like other kids and his mother believes she is the only one that can manage him. But when their family of four becomes a family of two she worries how Jimmy will cope if anything ever happens to her.

Jimmy tells the reader a story about his life and the people that mean everything to him, his family. Although it’s not spelled out in words it seems apparent that Jimmy suffers from Aspergers Syndrome. The repetition of speech, sometJimmy lives with his mother, father and brother, Robbie. He is not like other kids and his mother believes she is the only one that can manage him. But when their family of four becomes a family of two she worries how Jimmy will cope if anything ever happens to her.

Jimmy tells the reader a story about his life and the people that mean everything to him, his family. Although it’s not spelled out in words it seems apparent that Jimmy suffers from Aspergers Syndrome. The repetition of speech, sometimes going too fast at other times too slow and taking things said literally and having a deep perception of all around and within him! Jimmy’s mother feels that she is the only one to manage him so she shuts everyone else out, including Jimmy’s father. Through Jimmy and the conversations he overhears we get to know the other characters and their thoughts and feelings.

Laguna has depicted extremely well the life of an alcoholic and those around them. The love, the despair, the forgiveness! A mothers love for her child, closing out everyone else, and her continual worry about what will happen if she wasn’t there to protect him. A child’s deep and forgiving love for a parent!

This is a confronting story that is written with compassion and well researched. There is swearing but it is not overly done and it fits with the characters and scenes.

After reading Jimmy’s story you will know "where the crying is made."...more

4.5 stars.What a talented writer Sofie Laguna is. Having read The Choke earlier this year and giving it 5 stars I was keen to read the book that won her the 2015 Miles Franklin Award, The Eye of the Sheep. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as The Choke, thus the 4.5 star rating, but still recommend it highly. She again writes through the eyes of a child, this time it’s 6yo Jimmy, a kid who sees and interprets the world differently to most others of his age. His parents Gavin and Paula and older br4.5 stars.What a talented writer Sofie Laguna is. Having read The Choke earlier this year and giving it 5 stars I was keen to read the book that won her the 2015 Miles Franklin Award, The Eye of the Sheep. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as The Choke, thus the 4.5 star rating, but still recommend it highly. She again writes through the eyes of a child, this time it’s 6yo Jimmy, a kid who sees and interprets the world differently to most others of his age. His parents Gavin and Paula and older brother Robby make up the Flick family and the story is set in the 1980s in suburban Melbourne.

Domestic violence and its devastating effects are to me the main themes of the book. Sofie Laguna explores the topic to great effect and notes how it is often inter-generational in nature. Gavin is the oldest of four boys all of whom experienced regular beatings from their father, Pop Flick. Two of his brothers are in jail and Jimmy and Gavin are on holidays visiting Uncle Rodney, the youngest of the four brothers, and they’re enjoying themselves on the beach near Rodney’s place.

It was as if they’d been laughing since they were boys, running up the Portland sand dunes with Stephen and Ray, sliding down on pieces of cardboard, beating each other to the waves, smiling across the water even as one tried to win against another. Four brothers joined by the sea and Mother Beloved and by Pop Flick. Pop Flick the ole bastard who hit them on Friday nights and Saturday nights and sometimes during the week until their feelings inverted, shot backwards and stole their language and drove them apart, drove them to jail, drove them into trees, drove them to Cutty Sark, split them, divided them and took them from Mother Beloved.

When Gavin hits the hard stuff he can be pretty cruel to Jimmy’s mother Paula, the person who understands Jimmy the best and the only one who can really manage him and look after him. Jimmy explains why Paula can’t live without Gavin.

Mum tried to stay away but she couldn’t. She did Weight Watchers, but she gave up. She couldn’t say no to slices and lemonade and extra gravy. She said, Food is for enjoying, not counting. Enjoying is when you don’t want it to stop. My Mum enjoyed vanilla slices. If she could, she would’ve crawled between the pastry sheets, pulled the custard in tight around her and slept in one. Her mouth would have been open all night so she never had to stop enjoying. Like gravy and chips, my Dad had magnetic powers. Mum had no defences for him. He got in underneath. He was like a slice: she couldn’t give him up.

Whilst the story does have its upside and a little joy and happiness I would caution that it’s mostly pretty sad and bleak, especially the last half when Jimmy’s world is turned upside down. Sofie Laguna obviously has a gift in seeing and interpreting the world through the eyes and ears of young people and conveying their world with empathy and compassion and I think she is a brilliant storyteller. I haven’t yet read her first book for adults One Foot Wrong but from reading the synopsis it looks like that is also told through a young person’s view and features families and abusive relationships. I totally get that this type of narrative and these themes are Sofia Lagnua’s strong points and I will gladly read anything of hers but I will be interested to see if she ventures out of her comfort zone in her next book....more

Altona, Victoria, circa 1980? Telephones with cords, dials. M.A.S.H. The Bold and the Beautiful. Chocolate Crackles and Cutty Sark. It seems like an eon ago. Parents smoke with children in the room, children play outside alone and can even catch a Greyhound bus across the state by themselves. This is the story of a special little kid that nobody understands, not his mum, nor his doctor or teachers. A sad time in our medical history. There are some very dark domestic themes included and makes forAltona, Victoria, circa 1980? Telephones with cords, dials. M.A.S.H. The Bold and the Beautiful. Chocolate Crackles and Cutty Sark. It seems like an eon ago. Parents smoke with children in the room, children play outside alone and can even catch a Greyhound bus across the state by themselves. This is the story of a special little kid that nobody understands, not his mum, nor his doctor or teachers. A sad time in our medical history. There are some very dark domestic themes included and makes for a difficult read for anyone, but it rang very true for me and having lived in this very age in victoria myself. Medical advancement has changed this scene, people are more understanding of special needs but the other dark aspects of the book, alcoholism and domestic violence haven’t really changed at all. I enjoyed reading this book, but it’s not for everyone....more

What a trip this was.The world as perceived by young Jimmy Flick, who has Aspergers Syndrome.

For many years I worked with kids with Asperger’s and Autism and what Sofie Laguna has achieved here is nothing short of brilliant. The author has captured the essence of what it is to be Autistic. Reading this book was like reading a case study. It was so familiar to me.

Life was never going to be easy for Jimmy but having a father who turned physically abusive when he was drunk just made things that biWhat a trip this was.The world as perceived by young Jimmy Flick, who has Aspergers Syndrome.

For many years I worked with kids with Asperger’s and Autism and what Sofie Laguna has achieved here is nothing short of brilliant. The author has captured the essence of what it is to be Autistic. Reading this book was like reading a case study. It was so familiar to me.

Life was never going to be easy for Jimmy but having a father who turned physically abusive when he was drunk just made things that bit harder. The three most important people in Jimmy’s universe are his Mum, his Dad and his bother Robby.But Robby left the home as soon as he was old enough to leave. This made a big hole in Jimmy’s life. Then the time came when the father, Gavin, lost his job. After a night of heavy drinking he assaulted both Jimmy and Paula, the mother. In the morning, Gavin, heart sickened at what he had done pack his bags and left forever. That hole in Jimmy’s life just got bigger.

That left only his mum in Jimmy’s universe.

Without giving too much away, circumstances dictate that Jimmy sets out on his own, in a world he finds hard to relate to, to find his dad.

If Jimmy’s journey doesn’t get your parental juices flowing go and see a doctor because there is something wrong.

This is my second book by Sofie Laguna and I have been mesmerised on both occasions.

This powerful, majestic book held my attention strongly and moved me deeply at times. I had tears in my eyes on a few occasions as I read avidly the story of Jimmy, the boy with special needs, and his efforts to live a life in which he was honest to his own self. I also had many smiles and laughs as Jim and his family worked within the framework of his very unique and quirky mindset.

The observations of ordinary family life through the eyes of a child with autism are fascinating. In particular tThis powerful, majestic book held my attention strongly and moved me deeply at times. I had tears in my eyes on a few occasions as I read avidly the story of Jimmy, the boy with special needs, and his efforts to live a life in which he was honest to his own self. I also had many smiles and laughs as Jim and his family worked within the framework of his very unique and quirky mindset.

The observations of ordinary family life through the eyes of a child with autism are fascinating. In particular this book offers perspectives on domestic violence and matrimonial relationships which are quite unusual. Jimmy sees everything in a different way, and his perceptions are genuinely unique. He senses emotional responses as biochemical or neurological reactions, in a way that most people could never perceive.

The background to the family gradually emerges and we learn that dad Gavin comes from a family of social disadvantage, with two of four brothers in terrible trouble. They were victims of domestic violence at the hands of their own father. The family’s low income also contributes to a sense of helplessness and fatalism, that they cannot overcome their problems. Eventually domestic violence shatters the family unit completely, and one by one the family members, the pillars of Jimmy's domestic existence, leave him, until he is completely alone. For any child this would be traumatic, but for a boy with Jim's disability it is decisively shattering, and he begins to disintegrate. How he finds his way back from catatonic dysfunction reveals the measure of his remarkable mind and his essential goodness.

It was interesting to me that Jimmy is not portrayed as having special talents, which can occur in some people on the autism spectrum. He is not a brilliant mathematician, nor does he have a photographic memory or OCD. He shares that common trait of great attention to detail, but his IQ is average and he does not excel at anything in particular. I think this portrayal is important, to overcome public perceptions that people with autism are like Rain Man. I was discussing this book over coffee with friends yesterday and one of them used the term ‘idiot savant’ and I cringed internally - such an unfortunate term.

This book won the 2015 Miles Franklin Award, and deserves every accolade the critics heap on it. The story is beautifully written in accessible prose, but with an elegance of phrasing that delighted me. It is refreshingly different from some of the recent Miles Franklin winners, a good thing IMHO. The episodes in Jimmy’s modest domestic life have a ring of authenticity which grabbed me. The small and big things that happen to Jim made me laugh or cry or both. As the book progressed I found I had a huge emotional investment in Jim’s life, his welfare and his future. I think that is the best outcome an author can hope for - to really engage with the reader in a seriously meaningful way. I loved this book and could recommend it to anyone who enjoys meaningful contemporary fiction with substance....more

Jimmy Flick just like his older brother Robby is a miracle. But unlike Rob, Jimmy sees the world in a completely different fashion. At times due to being undiagnosed with Autism, Jimmy can see things far clearer than anyone in his family but is oblivious to the disruptions he causes. Father Gavin often takes his frustrations about his job on his son and his wife Paula when he drinks. Sometimes this frustration leads to physical violence.

For Robby, this means he has to try and protect Jimmy by keJimmy Flick just like his older brother Robby is a miracle. But unlike Rob, Jimmy sees the world in a completely different fashion. At times due to being undiagnosed with Autism, Jimmy can see things far clearer than anyone in his family but is oblivious to the disruptions he causes. Father Gavin often takes his frustrations about his job on his son and his wife Paula when he drinks. Sometimes this frustration leads to physical violence.

For Robby, this means he has to try and protect Jimmy by keeping him away from his father when the signs are there of trouble. Paula knows exactly how to handle Jimmy, but when Robby now a teenager decides he has had enough of the drama of home an moves out it will be the trigger to see Jimmy become a sacrificial lamb to his family that although having all the best intentions finds itself imploding. It will be these incidents and the overwhelming needs of responsibility that brings whats left of the family to a realization that they have to make an effort for Jimmy.

Overall this is a story that is pack full of emotion. The love is there in the lighter times with Jimmy and his family but that is countered by darkness. This comes with the monstrous rages of his father, death and the confused feelings of Jimmy to all the drama that is unfolding around him. Jimmy's family is all commendable in their efforts to look after him and it is that combined effort with Gavin, Robby and Gav's brother Rodney that provides hope. Expertly paced, The Eye of the Sheep is an absorbing read that will break your heart and make us think about our own place in the world at large....more

Book marketers take note: I bought this one solely because of Emily Maguire’s testimonial on the cover. “A sparkling, heartfelt wonder,” she says. I was in the bookshop at the time because I wanted something either sparkling or heartfelt or a wonder. It makes sense, then, that I bought this one.

I didn’t read the blurb, or any pages. I just picked up that silly-faced dog and hot-footed it out of there via the bakery.

But, oh man.

This is the story of Jimmy, a boy who goes too fast. His mind, his moBook marketers take note: I bought this one solely because of Emily Maguire’s testimonial on the cover. “A sparkling, heartfelt wonder,” she says. I was in the bookshop at the time because I wanted something either sparkling or heartfelt or a wonder. It makes sense, then, that I bought this one.

I didn’t read the blurb, or any pages. I just picked up that silly-faced dog and hot-footed it out of there via the bakery.

But, oh man.

This is the story of Jimmy, a boy who goes too fast. His mind, his mouth, always going. I have a child like that of my own, a child who has sat next to me and talked until I have asked her to stop. A child who might have wondered, maybe more than once, whether anyone cared to listen to what she had to say.

So, I read this book. By the end of page one, I had been abducted by it.

This is a beautifully told story of Jimmy Flick, a little boy with behavioural problems, and his dysfunctional family. Jimmy's behaviour suggests he is on the autistic spectrum. He has trouble slowing down and races around until he is out of control. He never stops talking, repeating phrases and questions over and over again driving other people mad. Jimmy's Mum loves him dearly and knows how to help him calm down. He has his collection of manuals for the household equipment and loves working ouThis is a beautifully told story of Jimmy Flick, a little boy with behavioural problems, and his dysfunctional family. Jimmy's behaviour suggests he is on the autistic spectrum. He has trouble slowing down and races around until he is out of control. He never stops talking, repeating phrases and questions over and over again driving other people mad. Jimmy's Mum loves him dearly and knows how to help him calm down. He has his collection of manuals for the household equipment and loves working out how things connect. When he can't sleep at night because his cells are spinning too fast his Mum helps him count sheep and he imagines staring into the eye of the sheep and finding calmness. Jimmy's teenage brother Robby loves him too and takes him out to the wasteland next door to play games, however Jimmy's Dad has difficulty coping with Jimmy when he spins out of control or won't stop talking.

The family is relatively poor and Jimmy's life is tough, especially once he starts school where no one understands him. His Dad has a menial job at a local factory and himself comes from a dysfunctional family. He has difficulty expressing his emotions and is prone to bouts of listening to romantic songs and drinking whisky and then beating his wife. Eventually this leads to problems within the family and events take a tragic turn for Jimmy who has little understanding of what is happening around him.

This book touches on many topics, domestic abuse and family dysfunction and a mother's love for her children but all told from Jimmy's perspective. In the end it is Jimmy's belief, through all the tough times, of his right to his father's love that will save him and offer his father redemption.Guaranteed to touch your heart.

I started this book a few days ago and a few pages in I thought I wouldn't like it and then just like that everything changed. I found myself feeling many different emotions whilst reading this but the biggest one was an immense feeling of sadness for Jimmy. I just wanted to take him in my arms and hold him. Narrated in Jimmy's voice the language was simple but powerful at the same time. There were times in the book when the sadness and what Jimmy had to endure were unbearable. It isn't only JimI started this book a few days ago and a few pages in I thought I wouldn't like it and then just like that everything changed. I found myself feeling many different emotions whilst reading this but the biggest one was an immense feeling of sadness for Jimmy. I just wanted to take him in my arms and hold him. Narrated in Jimmy's voice the language was simple but powerful at the same time. There were times in the book when the sadness and what Jimmy had to endure were unbearable. It isn't only Jimmy that you feel for...his Mum, his brother and to a lesser extent even his Dad are worthy of empathy. Then there was Uncle Rodney and Ned....thank God for them. In spite of it being a heartbreaking read I was left with a feeling of hope. This is one of those books that a review just doesn't do it justice. It is one you need to read and experience for yourself. I can see now why this was a Miles Franklin winner. Absolutely brilliant. 4.5 stars. ...more

Jimmy Flick has a different relationship to language and the world to the rest of us. His cells sometimes spin very fast and sometimes he has to run very fast, from spot to spot to spot, to stop himself from spinning off the earth. When Jimmy's cells speed up they can be slowed down and he can settle again if he gets a big hug from his mum, or if he climbs into bed with his big brother Robbie, or when his father occasionally puts his hand on Jimmy's head - it's warm and heavy and holds him in plJimmy Flick has a different relationship to language and the world to the rest of us. His cells sometimes spin very fast and sometimes he has to run very fast, from spot to spot to spot, to stop himself from spinning off the earth. When Jimmy's cells speed up they can be slowed down and he can settle again if he gets a big hug from his mum, or if he climbs into bed with his big brother Robbie, or when his father occasionally puts his hand on Jimmy's head - it's warm and heavy and holds him in place. Mum and Dad are sometimes in love and laugh together but sometimes things go wrong and then Dad gets the Cutty Sark down and starts drinking. Then Dad hits Mum and Mum makes Robby take Jimmy over the back fence.

Jimmy sees and describes the connections between him and his family members and the world in a totally unique way. He has wonderful insights into the heart and motivations of each of the people that he loves and what makes them the people they are. He sees particularly that the men in his family react under pressure by turning away from love, emotion and vulnerability.

Sofie Laguna tells a difficult and beautiful story in a magical way with the most beautiful language. This book is easily the best book I have read/heard this year. The story is told from Jimmy's viewpoint which is fascinating as Jimmy's view of the world is so different to that of most readers. The writing is so good that at one point when an asthma attack is happening in the story while I was driving, I was so engrossed in the action that I had to pull over to the side of the road. I laughed and cried on more than one occasion. It is also intelligently written. It is very clear that Ms Laguna has excellent knowledge of the subject matter. In the latter part of the book there are young characters external to the family whose voices are absolutely authentic. This is a book full of dialogue which absolutely rings true.

This is a wonderful book; gripping, beautiful and hopeful. I loved it and will read it again. I rarely give 5 stars but would give this six if I could.

"If you look deep into the eye of a sheep you can see a light. It burns right at the back of the head and it never goes out, no matter what happens to the sheep"

In The Eye of the Sheep, we meet Jimmy. He's not like other kids. We never read of a diagnosis, but we know that Jimmy sees and feels the world differently. He feels his very cells collide, he hears the plants drinking, their stems gulping back the drips from the hose. The roar of the mower sends his cells into a spin as they t3.5 stars

"If you look deep into the eye of a sheep you can see a light. It burns right at the back of the head and it never goes out, no matter what happens to the sheep"

In The Eye of the Sheep, we meet Jimmy. He's not like other kids. We never read of a diagnosis, but we know that Jimmy sees and feels the world differently. He feels his very cells collide, he hears the plants drinking, their stems gulping back the drips from the hose. The roar of the mower sends his cells into a spin as they try to keep up, making him run circles over and over again.

It's only his mother who holds him tight enough to stop his cells spinning. She teaches him to count sheep so he can fall asleep. He relies on his mother to keep him out of harms way.

But, slowly, Jimmy's life is changing, and eventually falls apart.

A good read - however, I wasn't as entranced as I thought I would be, hence my 3.5 star rating....more

I am rarely compelled to read a book only because of its cover, however the cover of THE EYE OF THE SHEEP was one of those rare occurrences, it leapt out of the catalogue and said “Pick me, pick me!” How could I refuse the demands of two such gorgeous characters staring at me? Even better the story contained behind the cover was just as compelling to read. Turns out the two characters on the front cover are the narrator of the story, Jimmy, and his canine friend Ned.

I loved Jimmy. Jimmy is speciI am rarely compelled to read a book only because of its cover, however the cover of THE EYE OF THE SHEEP was one of those rare occurrences, it leapt out of the catalogue and said “Pick me, pick me!” How could I refuse the demands of two such gorgeous characters staring at me? Even better the story contained behind the cover was just as compelling to read. Turns out the two characters on the front cover are the narrator of the story, Jimmy, and his canine friend Ned.

I loved Jimmy. Jimmy is special, he talks endlessly, asking questions and explaining what he sees. He can ‘see’ the internal workings of things such as blood moving through the body and the rust growing where his father works. Jimmy can also feel the cells of his body racing faster than everything else so that he gets frightened and overcome by it all, only his mother seems to be able to make things slow down for him. His mother also insists that despite her boy being special he will be brought up as any other child, which may not be in Jimmy’s best interest as his lack of awareness often results in him becoming a victim in the world outside his family. Because Jimmy tells the story, starting as a very young child, the at times, horrifying events that go on around him are not as in your face as they could have been. Through Jimmy we see love, alcoholism, domestic violence, poverty, retrenchment, fear and a dysfunctional family. Jimmy’s naivety gives him a unique way of seeing people and the world. So Jimmy only partially understands why his brother makes him hide when dad starts listening to a certain type of music and drinking a certain type of alcohol. He only partially understands why his mother cries out on those nights and bruises appear on her body after these nights. He can’t reconcile this dangerous father with the one who builds him a billycart and takes him in a plane for a seaside holiday with Uncle Rodney and his dog Ned. Ned also grounds Jimmy, when Jimmy is touching Ned the world stops racing around and he feels peace.

The descriptive language in THE EYE OF THE SHEEP is brilliant, and far from the subject being grim and despairing, it actually touches your very soul with its special blend of pathos and humour. I worried for Jimmy as I understood what was happening even when he didn’t, and when a fairly crucial turning point arrived in the story I just wanted to scoop him up in my arms to protect him as he had no idea at all how his life would change. Mind you neither did I; would his life change for the better or for the worse? Well, you will just have to read it to see, I thoroughly recommend this book.

With thanks to Allen & Unwin and the author for my copy to read and review...more

I enjoyed the first half of the book, both for its topic and language. The second one felt somewhat exhausted and exhausted me somewhat.

High points of my impressions:

~ This scene, though deeply disturbing, has something soothing too. As if everyone knows what their purpose is; as if everything has a purpose to it.

‘Get him out of here, Robby!’ she shouted. ‘Go!’ Then she was quiet. No more begging or pleading, as if she knew what happened next and it was too late to stop it. There was only the so

I enjoyed the first half of the book, both for its topic and language. The second one felt somewhat exhausted and exhausted me somewhat.

High points of my impressions:

~ This scene, though deeply disturbing, has something soothing too. As if everyone knows what their purpose is; as if everything has a purpose to it.

‘Get him out of here, Robby!’ she shouted. ‘Go!’ Then she was quiet. No more begging or pleading, as if she knew what happened next and it was too late to stop it. There was only the sounds of our bodies – skin rubbing skin, our breaths – trying to get away as if the centre was our dad and we were spinning around him but the gravity was him and it dragged us towards him. Another slap, the same place, the same ear, and down Mum went. She never tried to stop him, she didn’t shield herself. She just let him – there was so much of her for him to choose from. Mum got up slowly, having to balance her weight.Dad was shaking, as if the pressure was too much and he might explode. That’s why Mum offered herself. She didn’t want him in pieces all over the walls – there’d be too much to clean.

(It also reminded me of one way to stop me when a mood swing throws me into a rage: throw yourself in my way. I would not hurt an innocent; and this symbolic self-sacrifice will earn you the status of an innocent.)

~ But the story is not all grim:

Early on Monday morning Dad went back to work. He wore long sleeves even though it was going to be a scorcher. It was to hide the cut from Bill Philby, his boss. Dad was scared that if Bill Philby saw it he would start asking questions Dad didn’t want to answer.Before he walked out the door to meet his lift, I said to him: ‘You could roll one sleeve up, Dad, so the cool won’t have so far to travel. It will go under your shirt, and come out the other side like a breeze through a short tunnel.’Dad laughed. Sometimes it happened. Why? Where was the engine of laughter? There was no time to ask him; he was through the door and gone, a full day of rust ahead of him.

~ The hyperliteral approach can lead to some accurate insights:

Robby bent down and picked up a stick, stirring the water until clouds of mud swirled upwards. He looked across to the road, then back to the water. I could see his words and wishes circulating his tributaries. ‘One day I’ll leave this place,’ he said. ‘It’s a hole.’(...)On the way home I looked for the hole that was this place. I checked between clouds and blades of grass, and under rocks and down rabbit burrows and in clumps of reeds and behind patches of shrub, and in the water that ran beneath the bridge and in the plastic bottles that washed up against the banks of the stream and under the viewing bench and even in the far distance where the trains ran back and forth and the flame leapt from the pipe – but I couldn’t see it.‘It’s in you, Robby,’ I said.‘What?’ he asked.‘The hole.’‘Fuck off, Jimmy,’ he said, walking ahead.

(So accurate, in fact, that I can glimpse the author, peeking from behind our nine-year-old protagonist. Unless it's a record of a true conversation?)

~ The second half of the book--with the exception of Deirdre and Liam's exchanges--is a bit of a drag. There're only so many ways you can show the webs inside people's bodies and the lines connecting everyone. Even Touch, the TV show, didn't overdo that.

The wrap-up felt especially tired. :(

(Also, Jimmy's acceptance of physical contact jars with my own impressions of people with Asperger's. Can you have Asperger's and enjoy being touched? Or is Jimmy supposed to be something else? Oddly enough, I've just been reading a discussion of the symptoms on Tobias Cornwall's blog.)...more

Jimmy Flick is different from other boys. He perceives and interprets things differently, trying hard to understand the feelings and emotions of others. His mum, Paula, is the only person who can handle him, and has taught him how to get to sleep by counting sheep. His dad, Gavin tries —sometimes—to understand him, but can’t. Jimmy’s older brother Robby keeps him away from their father when he has been drinking. Jimmy doesn’t recognise—usually— the danger.

‘When I was slow I should have been fastJimmy Flick is different from other boys. He perceives and interprets things differently, trying hard to understand the feelings and emotions of others. His mum, Paula, is the only person who can handle him, and has taught him how to get to sleep by counting sheep. His dad, Gavin tries —sometimes—to understand him, but can’t. Jimmy’s older brother Robby keeps him away from their father when he has been drinking. Jimmy doesn’t recognise—usually— the danger.

‘When I was slow I should have been fast, and when I was fast I should have been slow.’

The Flick house is a difficult one. Even without the challenges posed by Jimmy, there’s little money to meet the family’s needs. And alcohol can so easily fuel domestic violence. When Robby is old enough to escape, he does, leaving Jimmy with his parents. But Robby’s presence is part of the glue that has held this family together. How will Gavin, Paula and Jimmy manage without him?

‘The house was thick and heavy with the quiet we were keeping.’

‘I was too fast for my skin to hold.’

Jimmy tells the story as he sees it, but he is not the most reliable narrator. Jimmy cannot read events, only report them. He is vulnerable and usually unable to seek help when he needs it. So what happens to Jimmy when the world he knows changes dramatically?

‘I went into the sitting room and turned on the television and it gave the house some friends.’

What can I say about this novel? Read it, if you can, without spoilers. It’s the best way to get into Jimmy’s point of view and to understand his perspective. At times it’s a heartbreakingly sad read, but it is never without hope. Jimmy Flick may be an unreliable narrator, but his voice is very real.

Very few books touch you so hard--so deeply, so true--that you know you will never be the same after reading them.

Last year I read A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara and while reading I had the distinct impression Yanagihara was mincing me piece by piece into a meat grinder. I had the same reaction to Sofie Laguna's stunning book, The Eye of the Sheep. As I turned the last page, the hollow that had been growing inside me, ballooned and ached. Laguna's words had seeped into my very core.

The Eye ofVery few books touch you so hard--so deeply, so true--that you know you will never be the same after reading them.

Last year I read A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara and while reading I had the distinct impression Yanagihara was mincing me piece by piece into a meat grinder. I had the same reaction to Sofie Laguna's stunning book, The Eye of the Sheep. As I turned the last page, the hollow that had been growing inside me, ballooned and ached. Laguna's words had seeped into my very core.

The Eye of the Sheep is a masterfully constructed story told through the eyes of an autistic child called Jimmy Flick. Jimmy sees the world without pretensions. He sees the lines of connections between us all; the power and the pulse of life around us; and heartbreakingly, the absurdness and cruelty of human relationships.

The story opens on a Saturday morning with Jimmy waiting for his dad to wake up. This act in itself is symbolism at its very best.

Laguna had me laughing, clapping my hands in delight at her wonderful prose and then ugly crying, leaking tears all over the place.

If you haven't read The Eye of the Sheep published in 2014, short-listed for the Stella Prize and winner of the 2015 Miles Franklin Award, do yourself a favour and read it soon. Read it before Laguna's next book, Choke is released later this year....more

I couldn't believe how well it was written, how beautiful and intelligent and skilful. How wonderfully recognisably Australian.

Every time I picked this up, I fell into it and didn't want to come out. Even when it was tearing me apart, seeing this family I cared so much about tearing itself apart, I did not and could not stop.

For a while, I feared the lack of a happy ending. It felt so real and I didn't know yet whether I could trust Sofie Laguna to give me that. It was a rAmazing amazing novel.

I couldn't believe how well it was written, how beautiful and intelligent and skilful. How wonderfully recognisably Australian.

Every time I picked this up, I fell into it and didn't want to come out. Even when it was tearing me apart, seeing this family I cared so much about tearing itself apart, I did not and could not stop.

For a while, I feared the lack of a happy ending. It felt so real and I didn't know yet whether I could trust Sofie Laguna to give me that. It was a relatively traumatic journey to that happy ending but worth it.

So so glad the Miles Franklin committee got it right at least this one time. And especially glad it was a woman writer this time....more

I experienced every emotion in this book, brilliantly told through the observations of the young boy Jimmy Flick, who experiences life a little differently to others. Although many relationships in Jimmy's circle were highly dysfunctional, others were very tender and heart-warming. This is one of those books I am sure will stay with me.

It's my great pleasure to be launching Sofie Laguna's second novel at Readings tonight.

I've enjoyed all her novels, from 'Bird and Sugar Boy' to the bleaker territory she's explored in 'One Foot Wrong' and now 'The Eye of the Sheep'.

She language in this book is beautiful, as always, and she inventively and unpretentiously inhabits the character of a special boy who 'sees' the internal workings of things. Whether it be the human body, the rusting pipes at his father's work, the rolling ocean, oIt's my great pleasure to be launching Sofie Laguna's second novel at Readings tonight.

I've enjoyed all her novels, from 'Bird and Sugar Boy' to the bleaker territory she's explored in 'One Foot Wrong' and now 'The Eye of the Sheep'.

She language in this book is beautiful, as always, and she inventively and unpretentiously inhabits the character of a special boy who 'sees' the internal workings of things. Whether it be the human body, the rusting pipes at his father's work, the rolling ocean, or the skies and stars, Jimmy describes a weird and wonderful constructive order that makes him an unforgettable character.

I've never much liked the Frank McCourt dominated genre of 'domestic violence memoir', but 'The Eye of the Sheep', which has those terrible cycles of alcohol and violence at its grim heart, benefits from warm and touching moments: fishing with Uncle Rodney, billycarts with Dad; even the conspiracy with the truly terrifying Liam to steal the bus money - all part of the light and shade that makes this novel work.

This book wasn't 'enjoyable' as such, but I did shed some tears, and come away with the book resonating in my thoughts well beyond its close. It made me think and got into my emotions, mostly because of the immensely likeable character of Jimmy.

With that said, however, there were a number of things that I felt got in the way of this book. The prose often falls out of Jimmy's voice, as he uses phrases outside his expected vocabulary, and clearly has far more insight into things than most childreThis book wasn't 'enjoyable' as such, but I did shed some tears, and come away with the book resonating in my thoughts well beyond its close. It made me think and got into my emotions, mostly because of the immensely likeable character of Jimmy.

With that said, however, there were a number of things that I felt got in the way of this book. The prose often falls out of Jimmy's voice, as he uses phrases outside his expected vocabulary, and clearly has far more insight into things than most children. I'm wary of books like this that present autism-spectrum people with profound insight and intelligence with very little of the nitty-gritty realities of life with such a condition. There was also something strange in the pacing of the novel. At times it moved painfully slowly, and at others I felt rushed. Some of the characters were also quite one-dimensional.

Well worth a read, definitely, for the character of Jimmy if nothing else. I wanted to adopt him instantly. ...more

Warning in advance: this is a rather long review! And I know a lot of people have loved this book, but I was not one of them. (I hope my GR friends who loved this are still friends with me after this…)

I was seriously underwhelmed by this book and bemused by what other people have seen in it (although I intend to read some reviews after I post this to see if I can work out what I missed!). I’m not sure whether I had expected too much of it, given that so many of my GR friends gave it 4 or 5 starsWarning in advance: this is a rather long review! And I know a lot of people have loved this book, but I was not one of them. (I hope my GR friends who loved this are still friends with me after this…)

I was seriously underwhelmed by this book and bemused by what other people have seen in it (although I intend to read some reviews after I post this to see if I can work out what I missed!). I’m not sure whether I had expected too much of it, given that so many of my GR friends gave it 4 or 5 stars and raved over it, or whether the writing style (from the POV of Jimmy, a little boy with autism) didn’t sit well with me, or whether there was something else at play preventing me from loving this book, but I didn’t love it, and I don’t even really think I liked it that much.

The style it was written in certainly felt like a lot of hard work - Jimmy describes things in ways which are difficult to understand, in varying degrees - sometimes he says that someone’s “pipes are overflowing” when he’s talking about them tearing up or crying, which is reasonably easy to understand, but at other times, I was at a complete loss to understand what he was trying to describe. Perhaps the book is written in this style because living life for someone with autism feels like reading this all the time, but it certainly didn’t make the book any more enjoyable… Perhaps I should have realised this when the GR blurb included a quote that was a bit wishy-washy, but I thought it might make sense in context. It didn’t. Some further examples:

“Dad was staring into his open fridge. He was the centre and the light from the fridge came out in rays around him. All of the rest of the shed was in shadow. Soon he closed the fridge without taking anything out. He stood up and leaned against his workbench, his back to me. Everything in the shed radiated from him. The spanner, the saw, the rope, the car parts, the posters on the wall, even the dust particles, all joined to him by lines.”

“I woke up in the middle of the night caught in a black circle box. Everything had stopped. There was no next thing, but I was still alive inside the circle box. It held me tightly inside itself. Even if I exploded, my cells were trapped within the walls of the box. There was no escape. I couldn’t move."

“For the first time that night I slept, as if my father had a power that ran through his inner liquids and was potent with sleep. The steam came through like osmosis and travelled through the lids of my eyes, heaving and drooping them so that I fell into a place both empty and full, where up was balanced by down, and down by up.”

Maybe I'm just being too literal, but none of this makes any sense to me!! And I never even fully understood the significance of the title of the story. His mother taught him to count sheep to help him get to sleep, and he would see the light in the eyes of the sheep, but I couldn’t see what the relevance was to anything else in the story. Perhaps I missed something in my irritation at not understanding things that were happening.

The story is incredibly sad, with Jimmy’s dad being a violent drunk - a fairly good man, if he could keep off the whisky, although his patience threshold was low (although I could sympathise with him) and he felt driven to it by certain situations, and his mum being a good and patient mum, but a comfort eater - “Mum bought cheese, lemon sponge, apple crumble, Monte Carlos, frankfurts, mayonnaise, ice cream, frozen potato puffs, peas, chops, caramel sauce, toffee squares and milk.” And as a result, she sounds like she is a lot heavier than a healthy weight, has trouble getting around easily at times, often has asthma attacks and is setting a poor example of eating for Jimmy. I can understand both Jimmy's mother’s and father’s ways of coping, although I doubt that I could be as patient as his mother in her circumstances - I would be more impatient, like Jimmy’s father.

Because as I read this, I thought if I was actually there, Jimmy’s running in circles and repeating things over and over again, and his insistence on unknowable answers (and then sometimes even the questions he asked didn’t make sense) would have driven me batty, and I probably would have snapped at him as his father did.

So it is a wonderful thing that there are some people who are very good at helping people like Jimmy. His story is still a sad one, however, but leaves us with a nugget of hope at the end. There were parts where I enjoyed the story more than other parts (perhaps they were the parts that were easier to understand…?), so I gave it an extra half-star for those parts, but overall, I can’t really say that I found it much more than “just OK”. 2.5★...more

So disappointed in this. I was really looking forward to reading this but I just couldn't bring myself to finish it. I didn't feel empathy for the characters, and the tone an setting somehow just didn't ring true. I feel the author mixed up her time periods and social settings, it was like different decades were rolled into one and I couldn't get past it - I kept thinking - "no that's not right" or "it wouldn't have been like that".

There is something a little Wintonesque about the writing but whSo disappointed in this. I was really looking forward to reading this but I just couldn't bring myself to finish it. I didn't feel empathy for the characters, and the tone an setting somehow just didn't ring true. I feel the author mixed up her time periods and social settings, it was like different decades were rolled into one and I couldn't get past it - I kept thinking - "no that's not right" or "it wouldn't have been like that".

There is something a little Wintonesque about the writing but whereas Tim Winton nails atmosphere, and gets away with making the everyday interesting, this one just misses.

The Richard Brearsley book "me and Rory McBeath" is a similar style of book to which I gave five stars, it deals with growing up in Australia in the 1970s and the issue of domestic violence. Unlike eye of the sheep it has strong female characters and captures place and time authentically.

I struggled through three quarters (I had paid for it and it wasn't an Amazon cheapie!) but then I just thought why am I bothering when there are so many good books waiting for me…..

Reading Sofie Laguna in reverse, I am struck by how effortlessly she inhabits the voice of children that lie on the fringes of society, children no one pays any attention to. As with The Choke, The Eye of the Sheep is a heavy, deeply affecting book that depicts the intersection between alcoholism, domestic violence and neglect. Jimmy is a compelling central character who frames everything that happens to him with astonishing clarity; sometimes the only thing that makes sense in his dicombobulateReading Sofie Laguna in reverse, I am struck by how effortlessly she inhabits the voice of children that lie on the fringes of society, children no one pays any attention to. As with The Choke, The Eye of the Sheep is a heavy, deeply affecting book that depicts the intersection between alcoholism, domestic violence and neglect. Jimmy is a compelling central character who frames everything that happens to him with astonishing clarity; sometimes the only thing that makes sense in his dicombobulated world is the way in which he responds to the unspeakable violence around him....more

"My books start with a character in a predicament and then the details rush in. I tune in as if I'm tuning into a radio station. It's not an intellectual task.” Sophie Laguna’s lead character Jimmy begins the Miles Franklin winning novel as a 6 year old boy living with his mum, dad and older brother in Altona. Jimmy is a “restricted narrator”; not only is he a child but he is not of the mainstream – it is possible that he has some form of autism and/or ADHD though it is not spelt out. He sees th"My books start with a character in a predicament and then the details rush in. I tune in as if I'm tuning into a radio station. It's not an intellectual task.” Sophie Laguna’s lead character Jimmy begins the Miles Franklin winning novel as a 6 year old boy living with his mum, dad and older brother in Altona. Jimmy is a “restricted narrator”; not only is he a child but he is not of the mainstream – it is possible that he has some form of autism and/or ADHD though it is not spelt out. He sees the world as a system of pipes, valves and linear connections. His mother Paula has problems with her “pipes” – she has severe asthma attacks. And as he sees it, his father has “blockages” that sometimes cause him to drink too much and to hit his wife. Here’s an example: “The weight of the Cutty Sark blocked the valves that led to Paula. Dad tried to clear the blockages with his hands and that’s what left Paula with the bruises. But if he didn’t drink the Cutty Sark, the valves inside pressed against his heart and other vitals, carrying the past through his bloodstream. The pressure built like the boiling water in the refinery pipes that led to steam and flame. It wasn’t bearable.”

This imagery works quite nicely against the backdrop which is suburban Altona and some unspecified time a couple of decades ago. I live nearby Altona and could easily visualise the chimney stacks of the refineries, the swampy seaweedy smell of the coast, and the plain little suburban houses. Altona is a humble place. And this is a very domestic story; the lens is close up on the family for most of the book. It is intense. Jimmy’s voice is compelling – his language is evocative and intriguing (it also creates teh central problem in terms of the success of this as a narrative).

What is done well: I loved the descriptions of the boys playing. Home is hard at times so they take off through the back fence and into the wilderness of undomesticated Altona – there are abandoned cars, and lots of things to distract the boys from the violence at home. The relationship between the brothers is perfectly evoked. This is a book about love – whatever else happens, there is love in this family which makes the violence stand out as a challenging but believable presence.

What didn’t work for me is the dissonance between the actions of Jimmy (he gets lost coming home from the shops) and the language that he uses to describe events. It’s a novel written in the first person. His language is complex and poetic in a way that is not believable given the constraints of age and his external interface with the world. I wanted it to work but I couldn’t quite believe him as the narrator. I can see how this would have been something the writer wrestled with. And the eye of the sheep metaphor did not quite work for me - something a little forced about this. This is a shame; I think there’s a lot of truth in the book in terms of the relationships that are portrayed; the father’s frustration, the co-dependence of mother and misunderstood son, the angry, protective older brother.

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Sofie Laguna originally studied to be a lawyer at the University of New South Wales, but after deciding law was not for her, she moved to Melbourne to train as an actor. Sofie worked for a number of years as an actor at the same time as completing a Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Sofie is now an author and playright writing for both adulSofie Laguna originally studied to be a lawyer at the University of New South Wales, but after deciding law was not for her, she moved to Melbourne to train as an actor. Sofie worked for a number of years as an actor at the same time as completing a Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Sofie is now an author and playright writing for both adults and children.

Her many books for young people have been named Honour Books and Notable Books in the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards and have been shortlisted in the Queensland Premier’s Awards. She has been published in the US and the UK and in translation throughout Europe and Asia.

Her picture book, On Our Way to the Beach, was included in the White Raven 2005 annual selection of outstanding international children’s books by the International Youth Library (Associated Project if UNESCO)

In 2008 Sofie released her first novel for adults, One Foot Wrong, to international acclaim. It was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards and long-listed for the Miles Franklin Award. Screen rights for the book have been optioned and Sofie has recently completed the screenplay.

Sofie continues to write for a wide readership, from picture books for very young children, to series for older readers, to novels for adults.

“Just as I was about to close my eyes I saw a faint line connecting the shadows, like string you take into a forest so you don’t lose your way. Everything in the room was joined by one line; the frame to the curtain, the coil to the crack, the belt to the shoe. I closed my eyes and in the vision behind the skin of my lids I saw the line stretch way out to sea, like cobweb blown by the wind, further and further; it crossed the Pacific until the Pacific became the Indian and it found Robby in his ship. It touched his shoulder and moved across the sleeve of his shirt and up to his eyes and across the top of his head and then the line went to all the other men on the ship; then all the way back to me. Everyone was joined.”
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